Platform adhesion

Enable prime blob

This setting is for dual extrusion machines only. The printer normally starts with a blob of material, to prime the nozzle. Disable this setting to use the skirt or brim to prime the nozzle instead.

Build plate adhesion extruder

This setting determines which extruder prints the selected build plate adhesion. This setting is only available in dual extrusion machines.

Brim

Brim adds a single layer flat area around the base of the model to prevent warping. The brim is connected to the model and will thus make the bottom surface area bigger. This means that it can better stick to the build plate and in case of warping the corners of the model are less likely to curl up because of the brim attached to it.

Especially materials that have a high shrinkage (e.g. ABS) can benefit from using a brim. But also models that either have a very big base or very thin parts at the bottom will stick better to the build plate with a brim.

There are multiple options available for the brim setting:

Brim minimum length: The length in millimeters here is the amount of filament that is extruded, no matter the other brim settings.

Brim width: This setting adjusts the width of the brim in millimeters.

Brim line count: This setting overrides the 'brim width', setting the width by the number of printed lines.

Brim only on the outside: This setting ensure that models with holes on the initial layer, like a donut shape, only have the brim on the outside of the model.

Raft

A raft adds a thick grid with a roof between the model and the build plate. This can especially be useful when the bottom surface of a model is not completely flat or has little adhesion to the build plate. With a raft, you make sure that the model will stick better to the build plate in this case.

The raft options in Cura are quite overwhelming since the raft is divided into 3 parts: Top layers, middle layer, and base layer. The image below tries to visualize all the possible raft settings available. The following information is important to know in advance:

Initial Z overlap: This setting lowers all layers of the model except the initial layer, to press the initial layer against the raft.

Raft base layer: This layer is meant to be pressed against the build plate, therefore it looks oversized.

A visualization of the raft settings in Cura.

The final result when printing with the raft as visualized above will end up like in the image below.

The result of the printed raft.

Skirt

A skirt is a line printed around the object on the first layer, but not connected to the object. This helps priming the extrusion and can also be a good check for bed leveling before the print starts.

If you select skirt, you can adjust the following parameters:

Skirt line count: The number of skirt lines printed around the model.

Skirt distance: The distance between the model and the skirt.

Skirt minimum length: The total length of the skirt. This will override the skirt line count when the minimum length is not reached yet.